Municipal Police Training Academy Opens on South Island

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
 
September 21, 2026 

Victoria, B.C. – Municipal police departments are celebrating, as the first training academy on Vancouver Island opens for new recruits serving Central Saanich, Oak Bay, Saanich, and Victoria. 

The South Island Police Academy (SIPA) addresses growing recruitment demands in the province and allows people to build meaningful careers in policing without leaving their families or homes during training. 

“The opening of the South Island Police Academy marks an important milestone for policing on Vancouver Island. For the first time, recruits will be able to complete their training here at home, closer to the communities they will serve,” said Chief Constable Fiona Wilson, Victoria Police Department (VicPD). “This academy represents an investment in our people, our partnerships, and the future of public safety across the region. We are proud to welcome this first class and grateful to everyone whose leadership and collaboration made this possible.”  

VicPD is the host agency for SIPA, which opened to the first class of police recruits September 14, 2026, at the department's headquarters on Caledonia Avenue.  

The academy is anticipated to train approximately 60 recruits in 39-week programs over a two-year pilot. The program has been approved by B.C.'s Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General and meets provincial police training standards, competencies, and expectations under the Police Act.  

"Recruits have always been willing to go where the training is. This academy brings the training to them, so that people who grew up here, who are raising families here, can build a policing career here too," said Nina Krieger, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. "The opening of the South Island Police Academy is an important step toward meeting the growing demand for new officers. By reducing barriers to training, we are strengthening policing capacity and helping build safer communities across the region." 

SIPA is one of two self-funded police training academies that have been approved outside of New Westminster's Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC). The Victoria site was announced alongside Vancouver in March 2026 and operates independently of the JIBC.  

SIPA's first class consists of 16 VicPD recruits and one from the Oak Bay Police Department. 

A steering committee has been established to ensure the academy maintains the highest standards of excellence.